COVID-19: Texarkana Area Update for Thursday Morning, April 23, 2020

Bowie County is up to 89 positive COVID-19 cases, 40 patients recovered and 6 related deaths in the latest update from Wednesday afternoon.

Cass County has 15 positive cases confirmed and 7 recoveries.

Miller County goes up to 32 total cases, 179 negative results, 15 recovered, 1 death. Updated Thursday morning, April 23.

Joint Operations CenterMore details on Bowie County cases are in the chart below:

Bowie & Cass County/City of Texarkana, TX

MEDIA UPDATE
4/22/20 at 3:00 PM

TEXARKANA, TX—Bowie County Emergency Operations Center reports a total of 89 positive COVID-19 cases, with 40 recoveries and six related deaths. Cass County has a total of 15 with 7 recovered.

 For a more detailed report, please visit www.coronatxk.org. The EOC is working with local healthcare providers to bring you the most accurate and up-to-date information possible, including patients hospitalized and recovered. More data will be reported as it becomes available.

Yesterday, guidance was provided from Governor Greg Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton related to churches and houses of worship. The guidance can be found here: http://coronatxk.org/DocumentCenter/View/6884/Revised-Guidance-for-Houses-of-Worship-During-the-COVID-19-Crisis---Final. Churches still need to abide by CDC guidelines advising ten or less gathering and maintaining a social distance of 6 feet or more. Governor Abbott’s Executive Order 08 is still in effect stating “In accordance with the Guidelines from the President and the CDC, every person in Texas shall avoid social gatherings in groups of more than 10 people.”

Many calls have been coming in to the EOC seeking clarification regarding the Governor’s statements over the weekend regarding “opening Texas back up”, and while officials and authorities in Texarkana are anxious to do that, it is important to remain cautious at this time. As a reminder, the following local restrictions are still in place:

• Bowie County Shelter-in-Place Order effective until 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2020
• City of Texarkana, Texas Curfew in place until further notice beginning at 10:00 p.m. and lasting until 6:00 a.m.
• Cass County Stay-at-Home Order effective until 11:59 p.m. on April 30, 2020
• Various statewide restrictions issued by Governor Greg Abbott

Guidance has been provided from the Texas Department of Health and Human Services explaining what is expected of employers, employees and customers to participate in Retail-To-Go, as ordered by Governor Greg Abbott. This access can be found here: https://www.dshs.texas.gov/…/docs/ReOpenedRetailGuidance.pdf

Positive cases are also reported on the State of Texas Health and Human Services Department website (https://txdshs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/ed483ecd702b4298ab01e8b9cafc8b83) but often there is a delay in reporting by the State. Our local Emergency Operations Center is working with healthcare providers and private testing centers, so often times positive cases are identified locally at the same time that the state is notified. Therefore, positive cases are delayed being posted to the state’s website. For this most up-to-date positive case count, visit http://coronatxk.org.

Inmates at Barry B. Telford Correctional Facility who test positive are NOT included in the Bowie County case numbers. The local Emergency Operations Center is working with the administration of the Telford unit to understand the emergency plans for the facility, but case counts are kept separately. A Telford unit positive case count can be found at: https://www.tdcj.texas.gov/covid-19/offender_mac.html

It is important during this time to remember the need for blood is not diminished. Please continue to donate blood during this crisis, as accidents and emergencies are still happening, and the need for blood is still present. LifeShare Blood Center is relying on donors to visit its network of donor centers across Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas. Each donor center is operating on extended hours due to the COVID-19 crisis. To schedule a donation, call (903) 794-3173.

There are several local resources for those in need of food. A list of those resources can be found here: https://harvestregionalfoodbank.org/food-assistance/

Cass County asks individuals who have tested positive, or their healthcare providers, to report positive cases to the Emergency Management Coordinator at (903) 796-7973.

This outbreak of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) can be stressful. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, reach out. You can visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/managing-stress-anxiety.html for more information, or call the Disaster Distress at 1-800-985-5990, or text TalkWithUs to 66746.

The latest local information and updates can all be found at www.coronatxk.org. The local hotline telephone number is (903) 255-5560.

Texas Health and Human Services COVID-19 Map.

City of Texarkana, Texas Emergency Management say if you have a local question about COVID-19 please send them an email: ttfd-oem@txkusa.org

Link to Arkansas Department of Health.